U.S. Pat. No. 4,820,170 granted Apr. 11, 1989 and drawn to a layered elastomeric connector and process for its manufacture, along with a related U.S. Pat. No. 4,918,814 issued Apr. 24, 1990 and drawn to a process for making a layered elastomeric connector teach a type of connector which is placed between the contacts of components and the contacts of boards such as printed circuit boards to effect an electrical interconnection therebetween. The elastomeric connectors theretaught are made of laminations of sheets of elastomeric insulating material such as silicon and sheets, or webs, of carbon fibers impregnated with elastomeric material such as silicon to form a sandwich of alternating conductive and insulating layers to result in a large number of discrete contact points and paths per unit of area resulting in a unique electrical interconnection. Upon compression of the lamination forming the connector, the various fibers are beam deflected to provide a residual force of contact between electrical contacts.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/652,804 filed Feb. 12, 1991 is drawn to an electrical packaging system and components therefor and teaches a use of the laminated elastomeric connector disclosed in the above-mentioned Patents. Such use features the connector attached to circuits disposed on a substrate, such as the frame of a fluorescent fixture with various components such as connectors and fluorescent ballasts having contact pads pressed against the connector to interconnect such components to the circuit of use.
The present invention represents an improvement over the foregoing teachings and has, as an objective, a method of utilizing laminar elastomeric connectors having adhesive coated surfaces to interconnect components to substrates, both mechanically and electrically. A further object is to provide a fiber-filled elastomeric connector which, when compressed to effect electrical connection, results in a sealed connection due to an adhesive coating on the connector. The invention has the further object of providing a practical technique to mount, carry, and arrange adhesively coated laminar connectors for use with substrates having patterns of contacts to which components must be attached. The invention has as an object a connector article comprised of a laminar connector which is fiber-filled with conductive elements held in an insulating elastomeric medium with the ends of the connector and fibers coated with an adhesive of a thickness and characteristics to be readily penetrated upon compression of the connector to effect a sealed and mechanically and electrically reliable bond with the contacts of components and/or the contacts of substrates.